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Yes, that’s our little buddy, Elf on the Shelf, modeling a Skipper swing coat from vintage Simplicity 5861!

If you’re looking for a commercial coat pattern to fit Elf on the Shelf, vintage Simplicity 5861 will work just fine. Of course it has those extra short sleeves that were popular in the 1950’s, but if you know how to make alterations, you can certainly lengthen the sleeves to fit him a little better.

If you look closely at the image above, you can see that I’ve given this coat a lining.

The original pattern doesn’t come with a lining; I just wanted my coat to have better longevity. Again adding a lining is a type of alteration, so if you’re not good at alterations, you might want to consider taking my online course with Creative Spark, entitled, “How to Alter Doll Clothes Patterns.”

As we saw in a November blog post entitled, “Does a Doll’s Coat Need a Lining?“, there are lots of smart reasons for giving a coat a lining. You can click on that link to learn more.

But Simplicity 5861 also comes with a scarf pattern, which I have to say, does not fit Elf on the Shelf very well. Have a look, and I think you’ll agree that it’s just too snug to make a good scarf for him:

I mean, yes, he’s adorable, peeking out from under that scarf, but I think it’s both too wide and not long enough to make an ideal scarf for him.

The scarf pictured above used the Simplicity 5861 Skipper scarf pattern, exactly as the instructions explained, but after making this first rendition of the scarf (which, by the way, looked equally awkward on Skipper), I tried to make it longer and thinner. I also used jersey fabric rather than the recommended cotton.

And I do like this look a little better for today’s “fashionist-o”:

But for the best possible Elf on the Shelf scarf, I would recommend making it even longer.

I need to say that Elf on the Shelf cannot fit in any of the other patterns available from Simplicity 5861. What a bummer!

I mean, how cute would he be in that little red and white prom dress?!

However, if you sign up for either of my two courses on Creative Spark, the “How to Alter Doll Clothes Patterns” course or the “Design Your Own Doll Pants” course, you’ll get my re-sizing formula as part of the class.

What this means, in a nutshell, is that I’ll give you a formula to enlarge a pattern like Simplicity 5861 to fit Elf on the Shelf. My formula also teaches you how to downsize a pattern as well.

All you would need then, to upsize or downsize a commercial pattern to fit Elf on the Shelf is my easy formula and access to a photocopy machine!

Click here to learn more about my Creative Spark online learning classes. And if you’re not ready to take a course just yet, maybe ask your family to buy you a class for Christmas this year!

Most of the commercial patterns I display and talk about here on ChellyWood.com are also available for sale on eBay. However, if you’ve never purchased a pattern on eBay before, it’s a good idea to read the article I wrote called, “Tips for Buying Used Doll Clothes Patterns on eBay.” It will save you time, money, and will likely prevent buyer’s remorse.

And by the way, if you use the links I’ve provided to make your eBay purchase, this website will receive a small commission, which helps fund the ChellyWood.com website, so I can continue to provide you with all the free patterns and tutorial videos offered here.

For more of my free tutorials, be sure to subscribe to my YouTube channel, ChellyWood1.

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Disclaimer/Credit/Affiliate Marketing Link:

*Please note: when you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include Amazon, JoAnn Fabric, Etsy, and the eBay Partner Network. As an Amazon affiliate, I earn from qualifying purchases. To learn more about how my website uses affiliate marketing, please visit the website’s Privacy Policy page.

Chelly Wood and the ChellyWood.com website are not affiliated with the pattern company or companies mentioned in this blog post, but Chelly finds inspiration in the doll clothes designed by these pattern companies. To purchase patterns from Simplicity, McCall’s, Butterick, Vogue, or other pattern companies shown and discussed in this blog post, please click on the links provided here. These links below the “Disclaimer” section do not help raise money for this free pattern website; they are only offered to give credit to the company that made these patterns.